Page 30 of Waiting for Devon
He frowned. “Yeah, I suppose so. Reed was certainly quick to defend you.”
Devon grinned and couldn’t resist teasing him a little. “Remember ‘the Barrington men do not manhandle the women they love’.”
Shane made a face. “I can’t believe that came out of his mouth. Well, I’ll let you get to bed. You have a big day tomorrow.”
“Good night, Shane.”
After she changed into a sheer white nightgown with a matching silk robe, hunger pains shot through Devon’s stomach because she hadn’t eaten since lunch. As she headed downstairs through a dark and quiet house to the kitchen, she assumed everyone was asleep until she observed light spilling into the dining room. Devon glided silently into the kitchen where Reed arrested her attention. He wore only a pair of khaki shorts and exuded so much male sensuality that her breath caught in her throat.
Sensing he wasn’t alone, Reed glanced up from his glass of milk and saw Devon watching him. “Come in,” he invited in a warm, husky voice. “I’m fixing myself a snack. I know you missed dinner, so allow me to make something for you, too. Do you have a preference?”
“No. Whatever you’re having is fine.”
Reed made two turkey sandwiches with lettuce, tomatoes, and mayonnaise. He opened a bag of potato chips, poured a handful on each plate, and slid a glass of milk toward Devon. Neither spoke while they ate. When they were finished, Devon carried their glasses and plates to the sink and rinsed them before she loaded them into the dishwasher.
“I owe you an apology, Devon.” Reed’s quiet tone reflected regret.
“Why?” she asked in surprise.
“I misjudged you when I labeled you an opportunist. I didn’t realize how wrong I was until I listened to you speaking about what you did tonight for those people. Now I understand why you were so affected by the death of that child. I’ve never seen the expression you wore on your face earlier this evening, and…your brown eyes glowed with a deep warmth. You were so strikingly beautiful and passionate.”
Reed’s eyes roamed the length of her body, and she became conscious of her nakedness beneath her robe and nightgown. Dear God, her nipples hardened under his dark sapphire stare. “Please,” Devon whispered. “You mustn’t say such things or look at me like this. I’m…”
“I know. You’re engaged to my brother.” They were standing so close together she could feel his warm breath caress her throat. “However, Shane hasn’t been acting like a man in love. Tonight, when he realized you were finally home safe and sound, he should have taken you in his arms like this…” Reed reached out and tugged Devon against his lean form.
Held in the embrace of a half-naked man sent tantalizing shivers coursing through her body. Devon’s pulse raced as Reed bent his head. “And he should have kissed you senseless like this.”
Desire, hot and wild and forbidden, exploded between them the moment Reed’s lips took possession of hers. This was no gentle kiss but one born of mutual want and need that could not be acknowledged any other way. No man’s kisses stirred Devon’s blood the way Reed’s did. His mouth moved with urgency and perfect rhythm against hers, creating so many delightful sensations that Devon’s head swam. Lost in the intoxicating emotions swirling around them both, Reed could not prevent himself from untying the sash that held her robe and pushing the garment off her shoulders. It fell to the tiled floor in a silken heap while his mouth left hers and blazed a fiery trail down her neck.
His warm hands slid the spaghetti straps of her nightgown down her arms, causing it to slip and reveal the tops of her breasts. Reed’s sensual lips strayed even lower while Devon thought she would scream if he didn’t stop teasing her this way. His hands caressed her breasts, then traveled down her ribs and over her hips. Just when she considered begging him to make love to her, Reed lifted his golden head and emitted a heavy sigh. He must have been reading her mind, for he chuckled low in his throat.
“Thatis how Shane should have greeted you tonight. And…” His eyes grew dark with desire. “And if you weren’t my brother’s bride-to-be, I would carry you upstairs right now and make love to you all night long.” With those final, titillating words, Reed leaned down and kissed her one last time before he left her alone, shaking and yearning for more.
After their seductive encounter, Devon didn’t know what she would say or do when she saw Reed the following morning, so she decided to take her cue from him. She dressed in a pair of jeans and a pale green sleeveless blouse, French-braided her hair, and stepped into tennis shoes.
A few minutes later Devon joined the family in the dining room for breakfast. Reed’s good humor pleased her as he chatted and laughed with his sister. When their gazes met, he bestowed on her the warmest, most dazzling smile she had ever seen. Her stomach did several flipflops and her knees felt weak. Devon returned his smile before she kissed Shane on the cheek.
As Mrs. Peters served the family scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, coffee, and orange juice, Jasper informed Devon that all the necessary arrangements had been made for beginning construction on the clinic.
“My foreman, Liam Stoneman, will meet you at the site with a set of blueprints, and you can tell him what you want. He and the crew understand you are to have total control and authority over this project. Of course, Stoneman will report to me periodically, but otherwise you are in charge. By the way, Miss Brooks, Lincoln confessed that several grocery accounts have been established for impoverished families in my name.”
Devon blushed. “I apologize, sir. I told Lincoln to use one of my credit cards, but he had other ideas.”
“Obviously,” Jasper stated in a dry tone of voice. “Don’t keep Stoneman waiting. You need to be at the site by nine.”
As they walked toward Blair’s sporty Mustang convertible, Devon looked at the cigarette the younger woman held between her fingers. “I know, I know,” Blair groaned. “Smoking is bad for your health, and it wouldn’t set a good example for the patients or for the clinic’s reputation. Yada, yada, yada.” She tossed the cigarette onto the gravel and crushed it beneath the toe of her sandal. “Who needs the damn things, anyway?”
“Wise choice,” Devon applauded.
When they turned onto Third Street shortly after eight-thirty, Devon told Blair she wanted to check on Téa Rodriguez before meeting Liam Stoneman. “Do you speak Spanish, Blair?”
“I speak Spanish and French fluently,” Blair boasted. “And since I knew you had a visit in mind, I brought a teddy bear for Téa.”
“Oh, good. She’ll love it. Both Téa and her mother speak English, but they’ll probably feel more comfortable if you converse with them in Spanish at first.”
Inez greeted Devon with warm enthusiasm before she turned her shy smile upon Blair. “Hola,” she said softly in Spanish.
“Inez, I’d like you to meet my future sister-in-law, Blair Barrington.”
